


Friendships at Sea

by JayBirdVanna



Series: Adventures of Aries the Sheep [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-11-08 13:18:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11082393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayBirdVanna/pseuds/JayBirdVanna
Summary: This is a collection of one-shots that further develop the relationship between Aries and the members of the Straw Hat Pirates.  Feel free to give prompts or ideas in the comments.





	1. Usopp

** Hook, Line, and Sinker (Usopp and Aries) **

 

Aries sat on the railing of the Going Merry, happily taking in the sunshine.  Her pale blonde hair shone bright with the glare of the sun.  Her blue eyes concentrated on the sea's surface, watching the red and white bobber floating a few feet away from the ship.  A soft sigh passed her lips as she tilted her head back.  It had only been a few days since she joined the Straw Hat pirate crew, but she felt like she'd been with them forever.  A smile stretched across her face at the thought of the five members that had single handedly changed her life.

 

A sudden tug at her line pulled her out of her thoughts.  She gritted her teeth as she tried to reel in whatever was biting at her baited hook.  She quickly stood on the railing, her body leaning back, away from the sea below.  Her arms pulled harder at the thin fishing pole, the fishing line becoming taunt.

 

"Guys!  Could use a little help here!" she shouted through her clenched teeth.  She could feel how far her back was bent as she pulled even harder against the constant tugging coming from under the water's surface.  Hurried footsteps approached her, and right as she started to fall forward, two thin arms wrapped around her waist, the extra weight keeping her up on the railing.

 

"What do you think you're doing, Aries?!" the nasally voice of the crew's sharp-shooter, Usopp, shouted loudly against her back.

 

"Shut up and help me pull in dinner!" she cheered, her tense expression relaxing to a gleeful smile.

 

The pair pulled and tugged at the line for what felt like forever, until, finally, a gigantic dark-colored fish breached the ocean and landed on the wooden deck of the Merry.  As the fish flopped around, the two pirates, who had ended up sprawled out on their backs, looked at each other and shared a loud laugh.  Aries laughed so hard her sides ached.  She couldn't remember the last time she was able to laugh like that.  Usopp flailed his limbs wildly in his hysterics.  Their merriment drew the attention of the other four members.

 

The comments of the other members were lost to the laughing pair until they calmed down several moments later.  Aries and Usopp shared another grin before they got to their feet and answered their friend's various questions.

 

"Did you catch this for me, Aries-swan?" Sanji swooned, kneeling on one knee before the blonde girl.

 

She laughed and replied that Usopp had helped.  Nami gave her a pat on the back and a smile before she walked back to her tangerine grove.  Luffy was bouncing around the large fish, yelling to Sanji about how he should cook it.  Zoro just opened one of his eyes to see what was going on, and then returned to his nap.  The commotion calmed down after Sanji and Luffy carried the fish into the kitchen.

 

"Thanks for your help, Usopp," she told him gratefully, "If you hadn't grabbed me, I'd probably be at the bottom of the sea right now."  She sheepishly scratched behind her curled horns.

 

He smiled back at her and rubbed his finger under his long nose.  "It wasn't a big deal.  That's what nakama do right?  Help each other?"

 

Aries felt shocked for a second, her body paralyzed by her crew mate's words.  Then she felt like she was engulfed in warmth from her head to her toes.  Her navy blue eyes grew glassy as her smile widened.  She latched onto him for a quick hug, then turned to pick up her fallen fishing gear.

 

Usopp was speechless for a few seconds, but he chuckled to himself.  He helped her gather her things and set them against the side of the railing.  "Hey," he paused, "do you think you can teach me how to be a better fisherman?"

 

The sheep girl giggled happily.  "Isn't that what nakama do?  Help each other?" she repeated.


	2. Sanji

** Hot Chocolate Dreams (Sanji and Aries) **

 

Nights out at sea were quiet.  The only sounds came from the waves lapping at the sides of the ship, the occasional cry of a gull if they were close to shore, and the snores of others on the ship.  Aries found the silence almost deafening and couldn't sleep.  Even the soft snores from Nami didn't set her at ease.  The blonde girl stared at the ceiling of the girl's room, wishing her body to fall asleep, but after hours of nothing, she decided to get some fresh air.

 

Silently, she crawled out of the bed she and the crew's navigator shared, trying not to wake her.  She made her way to the deck of the Going Merry as quietly as she could.  She pushed open the door, exiting the storage room, and stepped outside.  The first thing she noticed was the stars that sparkled in the clear night sky, their light reflecting on the small waves below.  The half-moon's light illuminated the caravel's wooden deck, making the polished wood shine.

 

Aries walked over to the ship’s railing and leaned heavily on it, breathing in the fresh air.  A small smile tugged at her lips as she attempted to count the stars.  After starting over several times, she allowed her eyes to fall shut as she lowered herself to sit on the deck.  She leaned her head back against the railing, letting the light breeze play with her loose hair.

 

But a sudden noise in the kitchen had her on her feet in a heartbeat.  A dim light was on in the crew’s kitchen area, which usually mean Luffy had snuck in for a late night meal, but the noise was far too quiet to be her idiot captain.  So she walked to the door and opened it carefully, poking her head inside first.  Her eyes were met with the sight of Sanji, the other blond on the crew, stirring something in a pot over the stove.

 

“What are you doing up, Sanji?” she asked quietly, entering the room completely and shutting the door behind her.

 

The chef jumped slightly, but turned to greet her with a gentle smile.  “Couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d make some hot chocolate.”

 

Aries walked over to stand beside him, watching as he stirred the milk in the pot.  “Why hot chocolate?”  She looked up at him, her eyebrows pinched together slightly.

 

Again, Sanji smiled at her, “Because it’s always helped me sleep.  Would you like some?”

 

She nodded and sat at the table in the middle of the room, picking at the hem of her sleep shirt.  A few minutes later, he sat a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of her and the two sat in silence as they drank.  The silence between them was comfortable, totally not what Aries was expecting, but she didn’t question it.

 

Sanji took the mug from her when they both finished and put them in the sink to wash in the morning.  He yawned and rubbed his eye with his knuckles.  “Aries-swan, I do believe it is time to get some sleep.”

 

When he didn’t get a response, he opened his eyes to see the young sheep girl asleep at the table, her head tucked into her crossed arms.  Sanji smiled and draped his suit jacket over her shoulders, not wanting to move her.  He sat down across from her and fell asleep in a similar fashion only minutes later.  The sound of the waves lulled the pair into a peaceful slumber, and the smell of chocolate gave them sweet dreams.

 

When the two woke in the morning due to the bright sunlight, Sanji offered her his hand.  “Would you mind helping me with preparing breakfast this morning, Aries-swan?”

 

Aries looked up at him surprised, and gave him a big smile.  “Sure!” she exclaimed cheerfully, taking his hand.  She let him lead her over to his cutting boards and let him instruct her on what to do as the sounds of the waking crew became apparent.


	3. Nami

** Shade of the Tangerine Trees (Nami and Aries) **

 

Aries sat on the cross beam that held the main sail for the Going Merry.  Her feet dangled in the open air as she rested her back against the outside of the crow's nest.  Below her on the deck, Usopp was experimenting with bullets for his slingshot, Zoro was napping against the railing, and Luffy was sitting on Merry's figurehead.  Sanji was in the kitchen preparing lunch and Nami was reading a book in a lawn chair in the shade of her beloved tangerine trees.

 

The blonde girl smiled and turned her head back towards the open sea, watching the afternoon sun sparkle over the small waves.  The wind tousled her loose curls, splaying them across her face.  Aries sputtered, spitting the hair from her mouth, and tried to brush the strands back behind her spiral horns.  Unfortunately, another gust of wind stirred up more hair and she chastised herself for not putting her hair up in its usual ponytail.  Her curls were now wrapped painfully around her horns and her fingers were creating knots instead of doing anything helpful.

 

Her movements became jerky and panicked as the light strands covered her eyes.  She felt herself falling backwards and quickly hooked her legs around the wood of the beam.  Her body hung upside down from the beam, her hair finally falling away from her eyes only to tangle even more around her rough horns.  She groaned as she heard the laughter coming from Usopp and Luffy once they realized that she wasn't hurt. 

 

Nami raised an eyebrow at her before calling out, "I thought you were a sheep, not a bat."  Aries sucked in her left cheek, pouting, and crossed her arms.

 

"Ha ha, very funny."

 

Nami smiled and motioned for her to sit in the chair beside her.  Curious, the girl swung her body towards the upper deck so she could grab a hold of the beam before she realized her legs' death grip.  Then she swung again towards where Nami was waiting and let go.  She flipped her body just in time to land gracefully on the white banister, her bare toes curling around the wood for more balance.

 

The navigator shook her head and gently took ahold of her new friend's hand, tugging her off the banister.  She led her to the pair of chairs before putting her hands on Aries' shoulders and pushing down.  The blonde sat on the wooden deck on the side of the chair, confused.

 

"Sit. Stay.  I'll be right back," the older girl said as she walked down the steps and into the storage room that lead to the girls' quarters.  A few minutes later, Nami was back with a brush and several bobby pins.  She set her things on the little side table, then she said directly behind the blonde.  "How in the world did you manage to get it this tangled?" she asked as she started brushing at the knots.

 

Again, Aries pouted.  "It's the wind's fault."

 

The other girl chuckled and the pair fell into a comfortable silence.  Aries closed her eyes, the feeling of her being brushed gently was calming enough to make her drowsy.  After a few minutes, the bristles of the brush disappeared and was replaced by the feeling of fingernails dragging soothingly across her scalp.  She sighed happily, leaning her head back against Nami's knees.  She could feel her hair being tugged and twisted, but she kept her eyes closed.

 

"There!"  The navigator exclaimed proudly as she slid a few more bobby pins into place.  When Aries opened her eyes, she was greeted with her own reflection in Nami's handheld mirror.  Two braids wrapped around her head like a headband and the rest of her light blonde curls were pulled up into a messy bun at the base of her neck.  A few stray curls were left loose to frame her face.

 

She smiled wide and looked up at her companion, her cheeks flushed with excitement.  "Thank you so much!"

 

Nami smiled back, gently tugging on a stray curl.  "It's no big deal."  She paused as if choosing her words carefully before continuing, "We're friends now, Aries, so it's okay to ask for help when you need it."

 

Aries stared up at her, mouth agape, for a few seconds.  Her vision blurred as a couple of tears slipped down her rosy cheeks.  She watched the young woman begin to fret and laughed.  Nami gave her a confused stare as her laughter grew louder.   The sheep girl's laughter died down after a minute or two, and she tilted her head towards the sky, her lips pulled into a large grin.

 

"Friends, huh?  I've never had friends before," she spoke quietly as if talking to the sky above them.

 

Nami settled her hands on her hips, joining her in watching the sky.  "Well you have five of them now, so get used to it."

 

The pair shared their moment in silence until Sanji delivered refreshing drinks and snacks, bringing them back to reality.


	4. Zoro

** Silence is Golden (Zoro and Aries) **

 

A usual day for Aries started with rising early in order to shower before Nami, helping Sanji prepare for breakfast, then a majority of the rest of the day was spent fishing.  She sat on the same piece of railing every day.  She loved to drape her legs over the white wood, stretching her toes out towards the horizon.  She would also keep her tackle box that was packed with fresh bait, different hooks, weights, and more fishing line within reaching distance, as well as a barrel of seawater to drop her day’s catch in.  She would sit in silence, completely still, for hours on end, only moving to reel in a bite or to break for meals.

 

This day began the same as the rest.  Breakfast was eventful as usual (although with Luffy around, everything is eventful) and Aries took root in her spot.  A couple of hours passed with only a few bites, but nothing to show for them, so her focus began to shift from her red and white bobber to the open world in front of her.  She watched larger sea creatures breach the surface of the water, the waves their bodies made rolling towards the small caravel.  She smiled as she rocked her body in time with the ship’s movements, her gaze moving from the sea to the sky.  She nibbled her lip and twirled a loose strand of her hair around her empty fingers as she tried to make out shapes in the clouds.

 

A loud noise from behind her jolted the blonde from her daze.  She whipped her head around, only to see the green haired swordsman asleep and snoring at her side.  He was leaning against the barrel, his muscular arms crossed over his chest.  Aries felt her eyes widen at the sight, but didn’t dare say a word.  She pressed her lips together tightly, trying to fight away a relieved smile, as she turned back to the sea.  This was the closest the man willingly gotten to her since she joined the crew.  Usually, he was watch her with his piercing eyes from across the deck before falling asleep, or he would sit at the opposite end of the table for meals.

 

The corners of her mouth tilted upwards, her blue eyes practically glittering in the sunlight.  _Maybe he’s starting to trust me_ , she thought as she reeled in her line, re-baited the hook, and tossed the line out farther away from the ship.  Minutes pass with no change; no bites, no words, only Zoro’s snores and the occasional cheer or laugh from Usopp and Luffy.

 

The blonde tried to block out all the other noise and focus solely on the little tugs at the line.  Her eyes locked on the red and white bobber that stood out against the blue color of the water.  Every few seconds, the ball would jerk to the side, or under water, but still there was no real bite.  “Damn fish.  Just bite already,” she growled to herself, her teeth clenched together out of frustration.

 

As if it heard her statement, something yanked the bobber under the sea’s surface, the force almost sending her toppling into the water below.  Her body lurched forward and shrieked as she felt herself lift away from the wooden rail.  Her body felt suspended in the air, her breath rushing out of her lungs as she watched the waves rush up to meet her.  _This is it_ , she thought as a tightness gripped her frame, _I’m gonna sink to the bottom of the sea._   She clenched her eyes shut in anticipation of the warm water enveloping her.

 

Seconds ticked by with no rush of fluid dragging her down into its depths, so she risked cracking open one eye.  Through her curtain of blonde hair, she saw her limbs dangling below her.  The tight pain that was still gripping her stomach shifted causing her legs to swing.  Aries panicked, she clutched her rod to her chest and her free hand scrambled to grip onto anything that would keep her above water.

 

“Stop squirming, dammit!  Do you want me to drop you?” a rough voice growled out directly behind her ear.  Zoro adjusted his slipping grip on the railing, before trying to pull her body back onto the correct side of the wooden barrier.  He realized the harder he tugged, the more the rod in her hand would bend against him as if whatever was on the hook wanted to play tug of war.

 

“Please don’t drop me!” Aries shrieked, wrapping her free hand around her companion’s massive forearm.

 

“Then pull!” he yelled through gritted teeth.

 

Zoro moved so his feet were perched on the rail, and then he shifted the young blonde so that her feet could rest in between the balusters.  He wrapped both arms around her and she gripped her pole tightly with both hands.  “On three!” she shouted, already feeling her feet beginning to slid off the ship.

 

“One!” he shouted, drawing the attention of the crew members.

 

“Two!” she continued, reeling in the line as much as she could.

 

They both paused to take deep breathes.

 

“Three!” they shouted at the same time, both leaning backwards and pulled with all their might.

 

Suddenly, the weight they were fighting with disappeared.  They found themselves tumbling backwards with a giant fish temporarily blocking out the sun as it soared out of the water and over the Going Merry.  Ecstatic hollers and shouts came from the others, but Aries could only stare dumbfounded.  Beside her, the swordsman unsheathed his white blade.  In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, the giant sea creature had been cut up into manageable pieces and was being carried to the kitchen by the boys.  The sheep girl could only stare after them, until a calloused hand obscured her sight.  She followed the arm up to the owner’s face.  Zoro smirked down at her.

 

The pair didn’t exchange any words as she accepted his hand.  He pulled her to her feet and they went about their business.  Things progressed the same as usual, only now the green haired swordsman didn’t seem to mind sitting next to the new girl at meals every now and then.


	5. Luffy

** Vegetarian (Luffy and Aries) **

 

Aries cast out her line, the baited hook making a soft plop as it broke the water’s surface.  She glanced behind her at the two fish already swimming in the barrel.  They were brightly colored, sparkling in the sunlight, and swimming in circles.  She turned her attention back to the water, using her free hand to try and pin her unruly bangs behind her ear.  Minutes ticked by slowly, the only other presence on her side of the ship was Luffy when he occasionally stopped to see if she had caught anything new.

 

After the third time Luffy lurked around her, Sanji stuck his head out of the kitchen to call everyone to lunch.  Of course, the captain was the first one to push past the blond cook, hoping to start eating before everyone else.  Sanji disappeared back inside the kitchen, his shouts heard clearly across the deck.

 

Aries reeled in her line and set the rod against the wall by the door to the kitchen.  She made sure the hook was tucked away before following Nami inside.  Sanji made a sweeping motion with his arms to the ladies, indicating to them their place settings.  Luffy was already seated, his mouth stuffed full of whatever meat the cook had prepared for them.

 

The meal was lively as it usually was aboard the Going Merry.  Luffy ate quickly, bits and pieces flying everywhere when he opened his mouth to laugh at the story Usopp was telling him.  Nami reached across the table and smashed his face into his plate.

 

“Swallow your food before laughing like that, you idiot!  It’s gross!” she shouted at him, her teeth bared.

 

The captain whined, rubbing his head as a knot formed just under his hairline.  Aries couldn’t contain the small giggles that escaped her lips as she leaned across the table in order to inspect the growing bump.  Luffy flinched as her cool fingers traced the red skin, but her soothing touch chased away some of the pain.  He smiled at her, however his words of thanks died on his lips when he let out a yell.

 

“Sanji!  Why doesn’t Aries have meat?!  Why does she only have that green stuff?!”

 

The cook blinked silently in surprise.  In fact, everyone at the table was now quiet.  Luffy frowned deeper.

 

“Did you forget to give her meat?” the captain accused.

 

Usopp and Nami broke out into silly grins and tried to muffle the sounds of their laughter with their hands.  Sanji finally opened his mouth to retaliate, but Aries answered before him.

 

“Luffy, Sanji didn’t forget to give me anything.  I asked him not to give it to me,” she answered shyly, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

 

Now, Luffy had turned his full attention to her, his expression shifting from disappointment to shock to confusion.

 

“Why would you tell him not to give you meat?  Meat is the best part!” he pouted, clearly offended that his newest crew member didn’t share his love of the protein packed food.

 

The girl squirmed in her seat, her face pinched in thought.  Her fingers tugged on loose strands of hair, “Because of the devil fruit that I ate, I’m part animal.  So the thought of eating meat doesn’t agree with me.”

 

Aries paused, glancing at her captain sitting across from her, “Besides, if I don’t eat any of the meat, that means there is more for you.”  She offered a shy smile.  She watched a large grin pull on his lips, his usual laugh bubbling up from his chest.

 

“Thanks, Aries!” he cheers, continuing to eat his meal happily, as if the conversation never happened.


	6. Luffy #2

** Special Seat (Luffy and Aries #2) **

****

Aries sat on the upper deck of the Merry under the foliage of Nami’s tangerine grove, untangling knots in her fishing line.  Her fingers worked quickly in the morning’s silence.  A light breeze rustled the leaf canopy over her head and carried the scent of Sanji’s morning tea.

 

Suddenly the hatch by the main mast that lead to the boys’ room flew open, the noise startling the girl.

 

“Yeah!” the unmistakable voice of Luffy sounded from deck below.

 

The sheep girl peered between the rails, watching the rubber man run towards the front of the ship, leaping into the air and landing on the ram figure-head.  The dark haired boy stretched his arms above his head, smiling wide as he soaked up the early morning sunshine.

 

Aries smiled at her captain’s ability to stay energized at all times.  She wrapped the untangled fishing line around its spool and put in it back in her tackle box before standing up.  She brushed off her legs and shorts as she made her way across the deck, towards the boy who was now laying spread-eagle on the ram head.

 

“Are you sure you wanna be that close to the sea, Luffy?” she asked gently, leaning against the railing next to his head.

 

Luffy turned his head to look at her, his grin never fading.  “This is my special seat,” he said simply.

 

The blonde girl smiled back at him, “I get that.  But doesn’t being that close to the water scare you?  You are a devil fruit user which means you can’t swim.”

 

His face shifted from his bright grin to a thoughtful pout.  He moved his gaze from Aries’ face to the almost cloudless sky above them.  A few silent beats passed until Luffy shot up into a seated position.  He turned his body to fully face her, his legs crossed.  He held out his hand to her, his eyes and smile now warm and inviting.

 

“Come sit with me,” he said, wiggling his fingers.

Aries’ eyes widened, her hesitation evident on her face.  Her hands tugged on her green tank top, her fingers wringing the material in a nervous manner.

 

Sensing her hesitation, Luffy offered another gentle smile.  “I promise not to let you fall.”

 

Aries studied her captain’s face and still outstretched hand before placing her hand in his.  His rough, calloused palm felt warm against her skin.  He held her steady as she climbed onto the white railing.  He gently grabbed her other hand just before she hopped onto the figurehead.

 

The boy moved over, making sure to give the girl enough room to sit comfortable.  He kept his hold on her hands as she sat down.  She tucked her legs to the side, the smooth painted surface of the ram’s head rubbed against her skin.  Once she was sure she wasn’t going to fall, Aries released one of Luffy’s hands, and cast her eyes out to the uninterrupted view of the sparkling blue sea.

 

“Wow!” she gasped, unconsciously squeezing Luffy’s hand that she was still holding.  “This is both amazing and terrifying.”  She leaned forward slightly, watching the waves creep closer.  She felt her balance begin to tip her towards the sea below, and felt panic set in.  She flailed, flinging herself backwards, the force throwing her body against Luffy’s.

 

He let out a cough before breaking out into his signature laughter.  “Be careful, Aries.”

 

He laughed harder as he watched the blonde’s pale cheeks flush red in embarrassment.  She pouted out her lower lip, knocking her knuckles lightly against his chest.

 

“Don’t laugh at me, Luffy,” she whined.

 

The captain tried to quell his giggles, but it took a few minutes for them to subside fully.  After the quiet had once again settled around the pair, they looked at each other from the corners of their eyes, shared a smile, and looked out at the horizon.

 

“You can only sit up here if I’m here, okay?” Luffy said suddenly, still staring at the water ahead.  “I don’t mind sharing, but not all the time.  It is MY special seat.”

 

Aries giggled quietly at how simple the statement was.  “Of course, Captain.”

 

There was another stretch of comfortable silence, until a question struck Aries.

 

“Luffy, what are you doing up so early?  You don’t usually wake up for another couple of hours,” she asked curiously.

 

His face pulled into a toothy grin.  “Well, we should be getting close to the Grand Line!  And I don’t wanna miss of second of it!”

 

The sheep girl returned his grin.  “I’m sure the Grand Line will lead us on quite the adventure.”

 

“Straight to One Piece!  So I can become King of the Pirates!” Luffy cheered loudly, leaping to his feet, and jumping into the air.

 

Aries cheered with him, laughing happily as the rest of the crew made their way to the deck for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment any prompts for a certain character or just in general. Let me know if you enjoy these little short looks into the everyday life on board the ship!


	7. Usopp, Luffy, and Aries

** Work of Fiction (Luffy, Usopp, and Aries) **

 

A deep sigh left Aries’ lips as she rubbed her temples.  Her head ached something fierce, causing her to lose focus on fishing.

 

She sighed again, frowning as she picked up her fishing pole once again.  However, before she could recast out to sea, a hand grabbed her upper arm and yanked her off the railing.

 

Yelping as she fell back, her vision obscured by her blonde hair, a familiar laugh filled her ears.

 

“Shishishi!  Come on, Aries!  Usopp is gonna tell us a story!  You can fish later!” Luffy said merrily, helping her upright before pulling her towards the mast where the sniper was waiting.

 

The captain sat cross-legged in front of his friend, knocking his straw hat backwards to hang from his neck.  He pat the spot to his right, looking up at the sheep girl expectantly.

 

She rolled her eyes playfully and sat beside the dark-haired boy.  She offered Usopp a smile, making herself comfortable.

 

Usopp cleared his throat and placed his hands on his hips, “All right!  Let me tell you about my journey to an island made entirely of sweets back when I was the Great Captain Usopp!”

 

The sniper was extremely animated as he wove his tale, waving his hands around and changing his facial expressions to fit the mood of the story.

 

Aries found herself engrossed in his story, leaning forward as the story grew tense, jumping in her spot when the sniper suddenly changed his tone.  She leaned on Luffy, holding onto his arm, laughing heartily with him as their long-nosed friend imitated a rain dance.

 

“And then my army of 7000 men ran out from the woods and pummeled all the soldiers so we could escape!”

 

Aries and Luffy clapped as Usopp bowed to them with an exaggerated wave of his arm.

 

“That was amazing, Usopp!” the sheep girl praised, her cheeks flushed from all the laughing.

 

Nami looked up from her newspaper, arched a brow, and said, “You know he’s lying, right?”

 

The sheep girl blinked confused, and Usopp just laughed.  He rubbed the back of his head in an embarrassed manner, ruffling his curls.

 

“Aww, Nami!  Why did you have to ruin the fun?!” Luffy chastised the navigator.

 

Aries stood up and leaned against the mast next to the sniper.

 

“Thank you for the story, Usopp.  I woke up not feeling that great, but you made me feel so much better.”

 

He stared at her in awe for moment, before breaking into stunned chuckles again.  His cheeks colored a light red and his eyes appeared slightly glassy.

 

“That’s what Kaya would say too,” he said looking up at the sky.

 

“That’s your girlfriend back home, right?” she teased, giggling at the teen’s stunned face.

 

He sputtered in response, but was interrupted by the captain sliding across the wooden deck to them.

 

“Usopp!  Tell us another story!”

 

The liar looked at the blonde girl, and she smiled at him.

 

“Yeah, Usopp!  Another story, please!”

 

A wide grin spread across his face as he rubbed his hands together.

 

“Alright! Then settle in, because this one is a dozy!”


End file.
